Overshadowed
by ScribbledPages
Summary: In three different books, from three different schools, three names were written down as others before and after them. Through the course of the years, these names were crossed off as few have as well. Sixteen years later, these three names were written down again in unprecedented fashion. Is this a mystery of coincidence or will it unlock more?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not nor will I ever own Yu-Gi-Oh or Harry Potter.

 **Warnings:**

Primarily be based on the Yu-Gi-Oh manga universe and the Harry Potter book series.

* * *

Several years ago (16-17 years ago actually)

December 23

Far from any large civilization, in land of sand and sun was an oasis hidden by sand dunes. If one stood on any of the five giant mountains of sand that surrounded it, one could see they made a small enclosed valley with the oasis at its center. However, it any other direction, nothing could be seen except the barren desert that rolled with the gentle waves of sand dunes that reached the horizon. On the other hand, if one dug deep enough into the same sand dune (a feat that would take much time and aid), one could come across an underground tunnel. Appearing similar to the tunnels excavated for the tombs of kings no longer worshiped, theses tunnels were much wider and much more stable than any of the ones created by archaeologists.

These tunnels twisted and turned and sometimes going up and down levels until it was all a giant maze that weaved around the aquifer that feed the oasis at the surface. Tunnels would eventually branch off to provide doorways to the world above or ending in chambers for the multiple purposes of the inhabitants. However, in one chamber that few were ever allowed to enter was a stone table. On top of it was a large roll of papyrus paper and papyrus reed. These materials were made not even two centuries ago but the seeds from which the papyrus grew from were collected from the tomb a high priest over 3000 years ago.

The reed laid flat on its side before it stated to float upwards with quick jerky motions. It made its ways to dip into an empty container (the same containers that used to house its seeds for millennia), before making its way to the papyrus scroll. With fluid motions, contrasting to when the item first "woke up," a name was quickly written down. Once it floated away, the jerky motions took over to return the reed back to its place.

...

June 4

On an island in the Far East, hidden deep in a mountain cave underneath a tall Japanese palace, laid an ancient bamboo scroll on a short wooden table. By its side on an ivory plate, was a brush as ancient as the scroll. Its handle was made of Cherry wood and its bristles were from the tail a tanuki. The set was seemingly left together alone in the room when suddenly the brush quivered and lifted into the air by an invisible scribe. Without dipping into any sort of inkwell, the brush touched an empty section of the old scroll. Instantly, black ink seeped from the dark fur of the brush and onto the paper below. With the gentle fluid movements of an artist and poet, the brush drew a name in kanji. Once done, it floated back to its ivory board to rest once more as the black ink finished drying in this secret cave.

...

September 2

Deep in the Pyrenees Mountains in the south of France, a beautiful chateau sat nestled among numerous enchanted gardens and fountains. Among the vast landscape of the valley was a small secret garden. This garden's location was unknown to the throngs of teenagers and preteens clad in the light blue shade of a clear day's sky in early spring. In fact, even the majority of faculty in charge of the cyan-robed students of the student was ignorant of this garden and the objects that lay within the walls of the towering hedges. Inside; at the center of the garden was a light-colored glass gazebo that housed and protected a small crystal table. This table supported an ancient quill sitting in a golden inkpot and a large book several centuries old.

Delicately, the quill floated up as if blown by a quiet breeze that should not be present; before gliding gently to its book companion. With a few looping strokes, the quill wrote down a name that can be seen underneath another in a list that went down the center of the page. Once its deed was done, the quill gently floated back to its empty golden inkpot to sit before it was needed again.

* * *

7 years later (9 years ago)

In a little game shop with a facade resembling a turtle, a little boy looked up towards the highest shelf behind the cash register. It was a gold box with a stylized eye that seemed to beckon the boy's own violet eyes to it.

"What's that Papa?" asked the boy to the man sitting behind the counter.

His father, a man that had crazy hair just like his son, albeit of a shorter length replied," I think Grandpa said it was a puzzle."

With those words the boy's eyes grew wide.

"Can I do it?" he pleaded.

The boy's father turned toward the puzzle with a slight frown and mumbled, "I don't know."

The golden box was certainly an attractive showpiece for the store after the grandfather of the family decided to sell it. He had given up on it after some unsuccessful years of trying to solve the puzzle. If someone were to purchase it, it would bring a hefty amount to the store's income. It might even be enough of a bonus that he could go to one of the big game and toy expos in Europe or America this year.

However, with a sly glance at his son's apprehensive face, the boy's father remembered the reason he started the game shop – his love and joy of games. His heart swelled thinking about his son also shared his passion (never mind at the age of seven all kids do) and his mind was made. With a smile, he turned to his son and said, "You can have it, but first let's make sure that it's OK with Grandpa. It is his puzzle from Egypt after all."

With a big grin splitting his face, the boy bounced toward the back shouting, "Grandpa! Grandpa!"

Much later, after dinner and desert, an older short man resembling the father son duo, used a step ladder to reach the golden box containing the gold puzzle pieces. He gave it to his jumpy grandson with a small chuckle, "I hope you'll have better luck than me."

"I want to see it finished before I die," he added mischievously. His grandson's eyes widen and nodded in a serious promise while the father face palmed at his own father's humor.

With the box in hand, the boy felt completely giddy with excitement. He barely noticed the feeling akin to a cool blanket being draped over his body.

At the same time, somewhere on an island, in a mountain cave, on a wooden table, an invisible scribe took up the Cherry wood tanuki brush. With a single stroke, white ink that came from nowhere drew a line straight down the name….

...

Yugi Mutou.

* * *

2 years later (7 years ago)

A little boy with white hair and large brown eyes trembled in fear. His father was being attacked by dark shadowy snakes that just slithered out from nowhere. He ran to help his father but the man yelled at him to grab the golden object he faintly remembered was called a ring. He desperately grabbed it in obedience, hoping it would somehow stop the attack.

In what seemed like a blink, he was no longer kneeling on the floor. Instead, he was standing up on the opposite side of the room. Looking down, he stared in horror at his father's lifeless body. A curtain of cold numbness washed over him as he fell to the floor, hugging himself. He was going into shock and his mind quickly started burying this event deep into his subconscious. Eventually, he would no longer recall what happened to him.

When he would wake up days later in an Egyptian hospital, it was to his mother by his bedside and the golden object still in his grasp. All he would learn was his father had passed away along with his some orphans and their caretaker. The little boy could only quietly sob while hugging the item.

Unknowingly, the minute the boy touched the golden object days earlier; there was another reaction to it that took place hundreds of miles away. A book that lay on a crystal table in a glass gazebo flipped its pages before settling to open a particular page. The quill beside it lifted almost mournfully out of its inkpot. With one uninterrupted stroke, a single line crossed off the name…

...

Ryou Bakura.

* * *

1 year later (6 years ago)

A young boy with blond hair and lavender eyes clenched a golden rod. The body of his dead father was against the wall.

And somewhere, in another room that was also buried underneath by tons of sand and hidden from the sun, a man started to read and copy the names recorded on the papyrus scroll onto separate pieces of parchment paper.

He was surprised and delighted to see the papyrus reed jerk upwards. It was a rare treat to see a new name being written down. However, the papyrus scroll didn't unroll to the blank sections. Instead the reed drifted to the same section that he had been working on and drew a line straight across a name.

The man's eyes turned downward in mourning. He knew a crossed off name meant that the magical signal of the person could no longer be detected. It meant the person has died because what else could snuff out a magical signal. He has seen some names crossed off before because one can never predict death. Still, this was the first time he actually witnessed the event. To actually know at this moment a magical life had winked out.

The man looked at the crossed off name. He had just written down this name on a copy of the standard school acceptance letter. The man opened an unused drawer of the desk he was using that was situated by the stone tablet. He gently placed the letter in the drawer while muttering a prayer for the dead. As he slide the drawer back in, he glanced once more at the name…..

...

Marik Ishtar.

* * *

6 years later (Present times)

"Let's get out of here!" Someone yelled as the underground walls of the tomb started to crack and break. The group of teenagers pounded their feet as they wove through the tunnels and leap up the stairs as fast as they can. Once they all reached the surface and a safe distance from the collapsing tomb they all gave sighs of reliefs. Some were glancing towards the entrance with various expressions that ranged from wariness to sadness to fondness and one boy glanced up to the sky with hope for the future in his eyes.

...

At the exact same time, in three separate locations, three different forms of writing tools, wrote down three different names in three different alphabets. What they all had in common was that these names were not written in the newest sections of their books nor were they being written down for the first time. Pages were flipped or scrolls rolled to the location where these same names first appeared sixteen years ago and later crossed off at various moments in time.

The fur-tipped brush wrote the name over and over the old kanji symbols until the white line was barely noticeable but still visible under the fresh black ink. The ancient quill made graceful loops that recorded the name, not in the center as usual, but more to the side of the page; right next to the same crossed off name. Finally, the papyrus reed, not quite as old as either of the brush or the quill but at the same more ancient than both; wrote its name next to its older twin but then floated several inches above the scroll. It continued rewriting the name over and over in the air in a seemingly endless loop that was waiting to be discovered.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

I enjoy reading YGO x HP crossovers a lot and it's so sad that it's essentially a dying breed. There's not enough new ones coming out/updating frequently and a lot of the old ones haven't been completed or even gotten very far. So the next step to satiating my YGO x HP phase is to write one.

1\. Guess which two out of the three schools is actually part of the HP universe. The third is completely made up.

2\. According to the manga Yugi lives with both of his parents as well as both paternal grandparents. His father specifically is said to be a businessman who often travels. Since it's been established that Grandpa was an archaeologist, it makes sense for his businessman father to be the actual owner of the game shop. Running a business is tough stuff, not exactly a one-man thing to do in your 60s. It's plausible that Yugi's grandpa mostly manages the storefront just to have something to do during retirement (and help out his son) while Yugi's father does all the business end of the game shop such as inventory, budget calculations, promotions, and traveling to game expos to find the latest craze such as Duel Monsters…

3\. Slight spoiler from _the_ _Darkside of Dimensions_ if you noticed.


	2. Chapter 2

Hakim Wahum was the current headmaster of the Sarabwahum School of Sorcery located in Egypt. It was because of that position he was often under immense pressure. There were times that he wished he never accepted the job.

It wasn't because he had to ensure the safety and education of the students. Nor was it because of difficulties with managing the faculty and staff. In fact, dealing with the issues of the students and adults of the school was expected and considered the easy part of his job that he actually loved.

No, the headaches of his headmaster position were from dealing with government-related issues and politics. He hated politics. Unfortunately, there was a lot of politics.

It mostly stemmed from the fact that compared to other great schools of magic, Sarabwahum was relatively small and young. It was just seven years shy of its bicentennial birthday and Hakim was the sixth headmaster to run the school, but it takes a long time to build a prestigious school. Even more so in modern times when magic must remain hidden from the majority of humans who were muggles.

It was even harder when the closest rival school was Uagadou, one of the most prestigious and largest schools in the world. Hakim's predecessors had focused on physically building the school, setting up the general curriculum and quality of education, as well as attracting a sustainable, albeit small population of students. Now that those bases were covered, the next steps were to grow the student body.

Sarabwahum actually had no problem in attracting students and magical families to attend its school because it was the only school that had a desert culture. Most of the students attending were from families that lived in desert regions. Sarabwahum catered better to their comforts than Uagadou, which was mostly adapted to the mountain jungles and nearby savannas. Historically, the choice for these people was either Uagadou or homeschooling by their families and clans.

The issues involved to accept students were what causing the current headmaster headaches. To accept students they needed know who the students were. In order to do that, they need to cast a magic detection spell to write down the names of potential students.

Only, the range and scope was currently limited to Egypt. In order to expand the range, politics with the magical government of Egypt as well as other nearby countries such as those in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula were involved.

However, the government leaders of these various countries rarely seem to want to work together. They often argued and it was almost part of their culture to have such pride. Their stubbornness made them rarely apologize and get along. Ironic…how they were so similar in many ways.

It was actually no surprise how there was no other magical school in the desert regions when one really thought about it. These governments also refuse to acknowledge how their squabbles were detrimental to their youth and their educational opportunities.

Government leaders were so focused on holding and using resources on personal grudges and gains that funding for proper education were lacking. The young therefore grew up into bitter and ignorant adults. It was really all self-destructive.

The non-Egyptian students at Sarabwahum were all from magical families that heard about the school from others and made requests to attend. Those that were outside of Egypt from muggle families or ignorant of the school's existence, they could not recruit. Things would be easier if they could get consensus to spread their magical detection to all the nearby desert regions.

A travesty that most affected by the squabbles of leaders were those that possessed little interests or benefits in the arguments of the ruling powers. It was also reasons why Sarabwahum was more of a private and personal investment of the various magical clans and families.

Now, in addition to the ever constant political headache, Headmaster Hakim was troubled about the discovery in the scroll room.

The scroll room was where all the names of potential students recorded. It could not have faults in order to make a strong case to the governments to allow its magical detection to expand. Earlier that month, however, his assistant headmaster had gone in to find the reed in the air repeatedly writing the same name over and over again.

Their spell was nowhere near as strong or permanent as the ones in Hogwarts or other older schools because they held hope to modify it to expand its range. So, was it a malfunction of the complex detection spell?

As soon as his assistant grabbed the reed out of the air – it moved of its own accord, the scroll unrolled to a different section and it repeated the task again except with another name. After the second time, the reed and scroll seemingly returned to normal. Together, the headmaster and his assistant analyzed every aspect of the spell and the items. They found that the spell was perfectly intact. They spent nearly every day for the past week checking up on the scroll room and no other strange actions had since occurred.

That led to the next step of analyzing the names. When he unrolled the scroll to the two affected locations (his assistant had the foresight to mark them earlier), he was shocked. Never before had he seen names crossed off then rewritten. One of the names really shook him to the core. As soon as he saw it, he quickly opened the drawer of the writing desk and pulled out the lone unsent acceptance letter. Looking at all three copies of the name, it was definitely the same one.

Currently sitting at his desk in his office, he stared at the name on the piece of parchment. _It can't be,_ he thought. He had personally witnessed the name get crossed off when he himself was still assistant headmaster. Now years later it was rewritten. _It can't be that that they died and come back to life. That would be impossible. It had to be something with our spell, but if not….what can cause this to happen?_

Hakim Wahum needed some advice. So pulling out some parchment and a quill he started writing a letter, requesting to meet an old mentor and one of the very few people who could understand the inner workings of similar complex magical detection spells. As the owl took off with its message, he hoped that the headmaster he addressed to would not be too busy with the current war in England.

* * *

A week after he had first sent his request to Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster Hakim was seen sitting at an outdoor table of the lone café that was overlooking the beach in the south of France. He was to meet Hogwarts's headmaster here along with the heads of two other schools who also wanted Dumbledore's advice on an issue between them. He could only assume one was Headmistress Olympe Maxime of Beauxbatons since the school was located in the nearby mountain region.

His ears heard a faint crack and several minutes later the tall form of Albus Dumbledore with his long silver beard and long blue robes covered with stars appeared walking towards Hakim.

"Hakim! A pleasure to see an old apprentice of mine," Dumbledore greeted the Egyptian man as they clasped hands before sitting down.

Hakim nodded. "I appreciate you meeting with me especially since our priorities are so different with your _situation_ in England."

"Ah. Yes… war may loom in the horizon for us but the issue of education of any young wizard, regardless of their school, will always be my first priority. I am headmaster and professor first. I am a warrior second, but passing on knowledge will be my weapon of choice," Dumbledore replied. "Now please tell me what troubles you before our other companions arrive."

Hakim hummed an agreement before he started to describe the scroll room discovery. When he was done, Dumbledore's brow furrowed in confusion, but his eyes twinkled with the mystery. "I have never heard of anything like that has happened with our records and your understanding of the intricacies of magic detection easily surpasses my own. I wonder then…

"I propose that perhaps there is a possibility the cause to be an outside force that we have no knowledge of and not because a malfunction of the spell. There is still much to learn in our world, especially on how magic develops within us all. It could be that their potential to produce magic is quite low, enough to fallen below the threshold to squib levels and only have recently rebounded in strength. Have you found these two individuals?"

Hakim nodded as he mulled over the possibility. To Dumbledore he replied, "I dispatched two of my staff to find each person and information of their past. It turns out that they are a pair of siblings.

"The boy is still young enough to be considered of schooling age but his older sister is now an adult working with the Egyptian museums. However, any records of them beyond the past year are scarce and mostly hearsay. There is nothing at all about their childhoods that we can find."

"Interesting…I suppose…"at that moment Dumbledore was cut off when an abnormally large woman, accompanied by a stern Asian looking man half her height, greeted him.

"Bonjour Dumbledore. I 'ope you don't mind our tardinezz."

"Not at all Madame," Dumbledore exclaimed with a twinkle in his eyes as he stood up to bow and kiss the hand of the headmistress. "You came much earlier than expected. I actually had arranged to meet my colleague here some time before our own appointment for a chance to catch up on old times. Madame Maxime. Fujimori-san. May I introduce you to Hakim Wahum of the Sarabwahum School of Sorcery in Egypt?"

Hakim stood up at the introduction but instead of kissing the half-giantess's hand, he placed his hand on his chest and gave a polite nod. Madame Maxime politely nodded in return, while the Asian man identified as Fujimori-san bowed at the waist towards the group. "An honor to meet you," he said with a firm voice and slight accent.

Once they were all seated, Dumbledore began, "Now what seems to be an issue that causes you to seek outside opinions?"

Madame Maxime gave a loud sniff. "It zeem zat ze 'eadmaster of Mahoutokoro haz neglected to enroll a French wizard into hiz school when ze child tranzferred to Japan."

Fujimori-san snorted and his brows furrowed. "Madame and her staff are the ones responsible for this child's lack of education. We have never received transfer notification to the school, nor to our government, about this child moving to Japan. Without such knowledge, it was the duty of Beauxbatons to have sent him a letter of acceptance when he was of age."

"Recordz 'ave shown that he moved to Japan when he waz ten," Madame Maxime retorted.

"Our age of admittance is seven, so we would have no need to be aware for magic coming from a ten year old unless it was intentionally casted," the Japanese man shot back.

"Zhe child livz in Japan and should 'ave gone to Mahoutokoro. I cannot take 'im in when five yearz 'ave passed! His age would put 'im wiz ze zixth yearz and it would be too much wiz ze OWLz examz."

"But it is clear Beauxbatons should be to one to take him in even though he lives in Japan for his name has been written in your book a second time!"

Dumbledore and Hakim's interests both peaked at the statement. Madam Maxime scowled, "Becuz it haz realized ze child waz neglected in Japan!"

Before the argument could continue further Dumbledore interrupted, "Madame, Madame. Can you please tell me about the discovery of the child's situation and his name in your book?"

"But ov corz. Deux weekz ago my aziztant went to look at ze book to write down thoz to be admitted zis year but found ze book waz already opened to an old page. Ze page waz from zixteen yearz ago and a name waz crozzed ovv and rewritten! We 'ave found zat zis child waz not among our current studentz but livz in Japan attending a muggle school ze 'ole time!" Madam Maxime ended with a gasp of disdain.

"Madame, why was his name crossed off in the first place?" Hakim questioned, with his brows knitted in thought.

The Frenchwoman blinked in mild surprise at his words. "I zo not know. It iz an old spell cast many yearz ago when Beauxbatons waz first eztablished. I believed it iz ze zame or zimilar to ze one in 'Ogwartz."

"We use the same spell as well at Sarabwahum, based on the one in Hogwarts. Within this month, we also have discovered names, 2 in fact, that have been crossed off and then rewritten. One of them is a sixteen year old as well."

Madame Maxim gestured him to continue. She was confused at where this new headmaster was heading. Hakim frowned, "The spell detects magical essence located in a person. The only reason names would be crossed off is because the lack of a magical essence which normally can only occur with death."

"Deaz you zay?" Madame Maxim raised an eyebrow.

"But now it seems that we may have three individuals where this does not apply." Dumbledore muttered, hand folded and placed beneath his chin.

"Perhaps a fourth," interjected Fujimori-san. His companions all turned to him in confusion. "This month we also have discovered the first name in our history to be crossed off in the white ink of death and then rewritten over. He too, is sixteen of age. Since our spell is far more ancient than any other and has not failed before, I believe that it may be there is something special about these individuals."

"Quite a mystery, it should then be crucial that they attend a magical school since they are still underage, but to catch after so many missed years."

"Perhaps we should have them attend the same school so we may understand them and what that they have in common to cause this?"

For the next hour or so, the four heads were deeply discussing the course of actions they should take.

It was quickly agreed that because the fourth individual was already an adult she would need private tutoring separate from students. They saw no reason to have her attend school in another country so lessons would be provided by the local Sarabwahum School.

Hakim then volunteered to take in the other three. Madame Maxim was too prideful to allow it, "I refuze to let my pupil go to a school that iz not even part ov ze _Magical Schoolz: A_ _Hiztory_ zeriez!"

Arguments and angry words that flew between the two but the headmistress remained stubborn and would not be swayed. Hakim grudgingly conceded. His plate was already full with school, politics and now one individual to tutor.

They did all agree that catching up on lessons should occur as soon as possible now that it was summer. It was still several weeks before the start of the school year. At least for most of them, as Fujimori-san's school was quickly ruled out.

"Mahoutokoro has already started the school year since April and the students would need to catch up on many more years – almost nine. Perhaps another school that has a more condensed curriculum should be considered."

They were also concerned about the wizarding world knowing that three wizarding schools failed to enroll students at their proper entrance age. How would they explain such unusual circumstances to gossipy wizards and witches! If circumstances were known who knows what governments or unsavory organizations would sweep them into their folds for interrogations or experimentation.

The school heads also needed plausible explanations why foreigners would be attending school in another country. To have transfer students were so rare since all schools were boarding schools. Distance did not truly matter when wizarding means making traveling large distances rather quick. There were also concerns if the individuals would want to attend a distant school but the headmasters were confident in their persuasion abilities.

They also needed to hide why they would be so far behind in their education.

Surprisingly, it was decided that Hogwarts, who did not have a mysterious student would be the one to take the three teenagers. With that, the explanation came easily. It was under the pretense that they were exchange students from their respective schools spending a year or two at Hogwarts as part of international educational program that was planned for several years ago.

It was only because of unfortunate circumstances Hogwarts had been chosen during troubled times. The program however would continue as a symbolic measure of unity. Showing that it was pride that prevented governments from agreeing to work together. People and the schools would ignore their differences with the symbolic helping hand.

It was all very flowery and idealistic in wording but in reality it was a cover up. The reputations of the schools were at stake! The headmasters of course needed to make sure the students were aware of this ruse. That is if they agreed to these terms.

They of course, could easily refuse to attend the school. In fact, with the individuals being so close to age of adulthood, the headmasters could have easily ignored them. The headmasters, however, had to ensure that there no were bouts of accidental magic. That would surely bring the magical governments involvement.

It was actually a miracle that these individuals did not already have an episode large enough to attract the attention of wizarding authorities earlier! It was known that accidental bouts of magic were stronger with age if a person was untrained. Eventually they would have one. So, if these individuals were traced to where they should have gone to school but didn't, the reputations of the schools would be under fire.

Yes, it all still rooted down to their pride. Even Dumbledore's, because two of the three schools' magic detection spelled was based on the one in Hogwarts.

In terms of how to extend to the invitation to the school, it was agreed that it would be only proper to do so in person. It had to be in order to allow them full explanations and persuade them to go with it. With that they scheduled when they should meet each child within the next few days.

As the meeting came to its conclusion, each of the headmasters and lone headmistress gave the others a final look. Some had some displeasure, but overall there was satisfaction about their course of actions. Four loud cracks occurred simultaneously. The table where the leaders of four wizarding schools sat seconds ago was now unoccupied.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

1\. I like doing character analysis so there will some of those here and there so there might be times where it's a bit drawn out. _Sorry but not sorry_ , it's my style of writing, but I'll try to make it as interesting as I can.

2\. The setting will be during Harry's sixth year but will not follow the book/movie. I may include details and events from the book but I do not intend on rewriting JK Rowling's masterpiece with the addition of the Yu-Gi-Oh characters. While I will not follow canon _plot,_ I do like to add as many canon _details,_ one example is the magical schools. Sarabwahum is my completely made up school, but the other schools (Uagadou, Mahoutokoro, Beauxbatons and of course Hogwarts) do exist in Rowling's world.

2\. I wanted to divulge a little bit into the complications of politics and its relationship with education. It's because of that, what seems to be simple problems with simple solutions can often wind up having overly complicated resolutions. This method of how and why our Yu-Gi-Oh are going to Hogwarts may also seem more complicated but I wanted to give them a different reason of ending up at Hogwarts besides the overly simplified method of receiving letters **from the UK**! Or why only British wizards have detected them while the Japanese wizards have not.

3\. The headmasters are quite curious but are more concern with their pride and reputation. I hoped I was able to showcase their different attitudes and Madam Maxine's accented English was a pain to write.

4\. Expect slow updates.


	3. Chapter 3

With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore made the tea set float in the air while self-serving tea without spilling a single drop. He made the sugar cubes and spoons dance a little while before stirring in the tea. Then he finished with the mint leaves folding into tiny origami fish, letting them swim around in the tea before it was set it all down back on the table in front of his hosts.

He was currently in the living room of the Ishtar's' household in Egypt alongside Headmaster Hakim. They had been in the middle of discussing the existence of magic and need for magical education, something that the Ishtars were a bit skeptical about, when Dumbledore saw fit to give them a quick demonstration.

Meanwhile, across from them sitting in separate arm chairs, Ishizu and Marik were in awe. Dumbledore and Hakim were quite satisfied with themselves assuming that the Ishtars were astonished over this simple display of magic.

Thoughts race through the siblings' minds. Ishizu was evaluating the pros and cons of learning this new (to her) magic. Marik was fantasizing the possibilities of getting out of mundane chores, pulling pranks, and just general mayhem. He would love to make the nearby spice shop owner's hair shaped into a peacock for making fun of his own blonde locks.

Both siblings turned to face the other.

"I'd like to learn." Marik voiced first, wondering if his sister would disapprove.

On the contrary, she nodded and said, "As would I. It would be interesting to learn and Marik would benefit greatly from it. His formal education has not been the best. Perhaps a magical education would give him more options for his future."

Marik gave Ishizu a bemused smirk.

Even without the Millennium Tauk and pressures about saving the world, Ishizu was still always thinking about the future – at least concerning her younger brother. At least she wasn't assuming the worst of him. After Battle City, Ishizu and Rishid forgave him rather quickly, while for a long time Marik wasn't sure how he could truly redeem himself in their eyes.

Perhaps all those years she spent trying to find ways to save him made her automatically try to see her brother in the best of light. Or perhaps after leading an organized crime group and trying to kill a 5000 year old spirit, who was technically already dead; anything else Marik did afterwards was considered an improvement.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore exclaimed with a clap of his hands. "Now I must tell you that arrangements for your education are a bit…unusual."

All three Ishtar raised an eyebrow.

Hakim started, "Miss Ishizu, my staff and I are at the Sarabwahum School will be able to give you private tutelage with a schedule that will coordinate with your job at the Egyptian Archives and our duties at the school. However, Marik will need to attend classes like the other students but it will be difficult to give him private lessons in order to catch up to his peers."

Hakim paused.

"Fortunately, in some ways, two other schools each also have a student with the same circumstances as Marik."

Immediately the Ishtars had their suspicions. Masters of the stoic face, none of this was expressed to their wizard guests, but they did feigned curious looks.

"We have discussed this with the other headmasters and have come up with a solution that would benefit us all." Dumbledore paused. His eyes twinkling as he looked at Ishizu and then Marik before continuing.

"It would be best if all three students study at a fourth party school as foreign exchange students. The other two have already agreed. It would greatly reduce the pressure upon Marik if he was with the others that are similar circumstances with their magical education to not feel singled out. Any extra lessons to allow them to catch up with their peer group and gaps in magical knowledge can be attributed to differences in curriculum."

"I'll go." Marik stated. He gave a side glance to Ishizu who returned it. Some kind of unspoken conversation passed quickly between the two before she nodded.

Dumbledore was a little surprised at how easily Marik agreed. The boy had interrupted him before he could continue on with an even longer explanation and give more reasons to go. He had figured Marik would have been the most difficult to convince since he would part with his sister. Dumbledore was ready to unleash his full force of legilimency to influence them like he had with the other boys and their families.

Hakim was pleased that this agreement had come so easily. "Now that we have to this agreement, I will make arrangements for you to meet with one of my staff. They will meet you at this time and location tomorrow to guide you through the wizard's market for you to get your supplies." He placed a slip of paper onto the coffee table.

"Miss Ishizu will need some of our textbooks and supplementary reading to start with while. Marik will only need to purchase our school uniform to represent Sarabwahum as well as a wand. The rest of his school supplies will be determined by the Hogwarts staff."

Marik and Ishizu nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore pulled out an envelope from his robe. "This is the plane ticket to London that we have provided. The plane leaves in four days. I apologize for the rush, but we would like Marik to come as soon as possible so that we can begin lessons for him to determine his abilities and coursework before the start of the term."

Ishizu took the ticket from Dumbledore. "That is understandable. We will do all we can to prepare him for it. Thank you."

"Wonderful." Dumbledore replied. With a twinkle in his eyes, he began to stand. "I'm sorry but I feel we must take our leave now."

Hakim also stood up. "It is a pleasure to have met you." He nodded to Ishizu, Marik, and even Rishid. Turning back to Ishizu, "I look forward to your presence at our school."

The two wizards took out their wands and together, a crack was heard and both were gone.

Ishizu sighed as the tension in the room slipped away. "I supposed I'll have to make a few calls to get you a visa in time." She walked away towards her study.

"I could just get there like I did for Japan." Marik replied.

Rishid smirked, "You can't mind control Immigration and Customs anymore."

Marik gave a mock scowl and slouched in his chair. The room was silent for several minutes, even when Ishizu returned with the phone near her ear, waiting for her call to connect.

"Their magic," Marik began. "It felt different. It's not the same as Shadow Magic."

His siblings nodded.

While the wizards had assumed the Ishtars were in awe over the display of magic, the reality was they were amazed at the magic's aura. Quite familiar with shadow magic since they were very young they could differentiate right away this wizard magic was definitely not the same.

Wielding shadow magic had a heavy feeling to it and took a lot of energy. It was like trying to breathe on a very hot and humid day. However, this wizard magic was much lighter and gave off a more warm tingling presence. It was like standing in the sun on a cold crisp day in springtime.

They could also tell that the wizards' most likely did not have a heavy drain on energy like shadow magic. Dumbledore was enjoying himself and looked perfectly chipper while casting his spells.

Ishizu and Marik had spent years practicing with their Millennium items before they could use it without feeling utterly exhausted. And though Dumbledore's age showed his years of experience, it still remained as to who would develop magic to do mundane acts such as pouring tea if there was an energy toll to it.

"Even I could tell there was a difference." Rishid added and he didn't wield any magic.

Marik quickly perked up. "I'm willing to bet that the other two are Ryou and Yugi."

"Most likely," Ishizu commented. "Their story correlated too much with the timing of the Ceremonial Duel to be of mere coincidence."

"I would have imagined that Yugi and Ryou would have been from the same school but Dumbledore said two schools." Marik mused.

"Bakura does not look completely Japanese, perhaps he had moved there." Rishid hypothesized.

"Perhaps… As long as it's really the two of them and I didn't jump the gun to agree. It would suck if I have to spend a whole year with complete strangers." Marik huffed while crossing his arms.

"You can call them as soon as I'm finished." Ishizu said and at that moment she heard a click on the phone. She rushed back to her study to talk in privacy.

"Can't wait," her brother grinned excitedly.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an abandoned and half-finished building near the outskirts of Cairo a crack sounded before the two wizards apparated into the scene.

"Do you think it was wise not to tell them of the situation in Britain?" Hakim asked of his old mentor.

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "I believe so. We needed them to attend Hogwarts and telling them now would have made it more difficult to get their consent."

He paused. He knew there was no way that he would be able to keep the war a secret though. They would no doubt learn of the war as soon as the students of Hogwarts return.

"Perhaps I shall tell them myself after they have been at Hogwarts for a while. They would see the school itself is very safe and that there is no need for concern as long as they remain at the school." Dumbledore hoped they would not be upset over the trickery.

The two reached the partially done top floor of the building, where a carriage awaited for Dumbledore.

"You have met all the students, have you found any connection between them?" Hakim asked.

Dumbledore smiled. "They are an interesting bunch to say the least. However, there is nothing I can definitively say that they have in common. It may take some time for us to find the truth."

Hakim nodded. As soon as Dumbledore and the carriage flew off, Hakim vanished with a crack.

Inside the carriage Dumbledore's smile slipped into a frown. All four individuals had very strong mental shields. His legilimency could not glean anything from their minds. He could not get a glimpse of any memories, thoughts, nor emotions. He wasn't sure if he even influenced their decision to accept Hogwarts.

He wondered if their natural occlumency connected them somehow or if it was simply a family trait. The two Ishtars had it but so did their older brother who was a muggle as far as Dumbledore was aware. The white-haired boy had strong shield but his father was an open book. And in Yugi's family, only Yugi and his grandfather's minds Dumbledore could not peer into. But the trait of natural occlumency have periodically appeared before yet never caused such unusual circumstances.

 _There must be other things to discover before this mystery can be solved. One thing connecting these individuals is too simple of a solution_ , Dumbledore thought.

* * *

Across an entire continent away a father and son duo were sitting down at the kitchen table musing over what had happened earlier that day. Each had a mug of tea warming their hands. The older man, known to most as Hatori, mussed up his dark blue hair with hand while looking at his white-haired son in amused confusion.

Earlier that day he and Ryou were in the process of putting together their latest diorama of a Viking fishing village when three strangers in colorful robes showed up. The museum was supposed to be closed so new exhibits could be set up.

With a show of wands waving and sparks flying, the three strangers had the exhibit pieces set up in second. With a flare one of them also made the Viking figurines come to life. However, they were more upset than amazed when the Vikings started fighting and stabbing each other. Thankfully, the strangers returned the figurines back to normal and even repaired the damaged ones with a quick tap.

Then there came a conversation involving a magical world, schools of magic, foreign exchange program, and a few other things that older man couldn't exactly recall because he had been too engrossed in adjusting some of the exhibit pieces that weren't displayed properly.

He did remember though that Ryou had agreed to go to the magical school in the UK and he gave his approval automatically. Ryou was old enough and more than capable enough to care for himself and make his own decisions.

"So, you're sure?" Hatori asked Ryou. "You really want to go all the way to Britain for school?"

"Magic school," Ryou corrected with a dreamy look.

Before anything else could be said, the living room phone rang. Ryou immediately went up to get it. Any calls at home were always for Ryou since 90 percent of the time Hatori could only be reached by calling his cellphone.

"Hello Yugi…..yes…Marik too….oh did you….yes Yugi…" Snippets of Ryou's conversation floated into the kitchen.

 _Magic school_ , of course. For as long as Hatori has known Ryou, the boy loved the supernatural and magic related.

He had first met Ryou when the boy's class took a trip to the museum only a few years ago. The white-haired teenager had been peering at one of the models of a medieval castle, trying to look at every single piece from many different angles. He even returned after school for weeks, just analyzing different dioramas.

Eventually Hatori ended up having a few conversations with the boy that was obsessed with his displays. He found out that Ryou really enjoyed Monster World (a game which Hatori and a few of his colleagues started playing when Ryou made some mythology/history-based campaigns for them) and wanted to build dioramas for it much like Hatori did for the museum.

Hatori was a single man with no aspirations to have a family or even get married. However, when he found out that Ryou was an orphan and often bullied at the orphanage and school, he decided to take in him as a foster and give him a fresh start.

Hatori honestly had no idea had to be a father. It was probably one of his most rash decisions but something about Ryou had charmed him to go through with it.

It was a bit of a process that involved paperwork, purchasing a new apartment (since his studio apartment would offer neither of them privacy or space) and also finding a nearby high school.

Both of them knew he wouldn't be the best of fathers but he tried.

Ryou would have times when he would close himself off to the rest of the world. While the blue-haired man as the owner of the Domino Museum would absentmindedly bury himself in his work forgetting everything including the need to eat or sleep or that he had a bed outside his office. He also wasn't assertive with his parental authority and presence, unsure about encroaching too close to Ryou's personal space.

They were often more like roommates or friends or maybe Hatori was more like an older brother than anything. Enough to care about Ryou for his well-being and happiness but not quite emotionally invested. They were both rather independent but at least satisfied with their relationship

Still, even though knowing that Ryou was more than capable enough of taking care of himself, Hatori was hesitant about Ryou studying in another country. Yes, there had been periods where neither would see the other but usually for a few weeks at most and they still contacted each other indirectly ever few days through post it notes, short calls, and saved meals.

Just then, Ryou bounced back into the room after ending his call with Yugi.

"That was Yugi and he said he's going to the same school too!" Ryou announced gleefully.

"Yugi? The one with the hair?" Hatori asked, his hands motioning a well-known start shaped hairstyle.

Ryou nodded happily. "I didn't even think that he would be a wizard too. It does make some sense though." He muttered the second sentence to himself.

His father had not heard Ryou mumbling because he was too filled with relief. If both boys were together things would be fine. Although he only briefly met Ryou's friends, he knew that they would both look out for each other. After all, he was aware when they went to Duelist Kingdom and then the Egypt trip just recently and they were all just fine.

"And Marik is going too!"

Huh?

"Marik?" The blue-haired man asked. His confused eyes glanced towards plastic box on the shelf holding the figurines of what he knew were Ryou's friends, trying to figure out which of them was Marik.

"He's Ishizu Ishtar's younger brother. We met when they came here for the exhibit and we stayed with them when we went Egypt." Ryou tipped his head to side as he answered.

Hatori now recalled the blonde teenager that he was briefly introduced to by Ishizu.

Even better was Hatori's sentiment. Ishizu had been fantastic to work with when her exhibit had visited the museum. She was the most responsible and professional person he had ever met. If this younger brother was anything like his sister (little did he know) and Ryou was friends with him then the older man definitely did not have to worry about Ryou in a school so far away with Yugi and Marik by him.

He smiled. "Alright then. Let's get your stuff packed up since your flight is in a couple of days."

Draining his cup of tea, he choked on it when realized something. After coughing violently to clear his airways, he looked at Ryou with an almost panicked expression.

"What am I going to tell your school?" Hatori finally gasped.

Ryou just gave a sheepish shrug.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

1\. I'm sorry that Yugi didn't appear in this chapter. Next one I promise.

2\. I decided to only write about one meeting from the headmasters otherwise it would have been rather redundant without any real progress on the plot.

3\. How's that for a different version of Ryou and his father's relationship? So many authors in the fandom tend to make Ryou abandoned by his father. However, when you think about it, his father is no more/no less involved with Ryou than the rest of the parents/guardians of the other characters. Yet, no one assumes Anzu or Honda have neglectful parents (or have daddy issues). So, I simply made him a workaholic at the museum but with the spin on him being a foster father due to….

4\. **Spoiler alert! Please skip this section if you don't want spoilers about _Dark Side of Dimensions_** _._ This doesn't really pertain much to the story but something I found interesting. _The Dark Side of Dimensions_ is supposed tied in with the manga version and in it Ryou's father has white hair, was obsessed with the Millennium Ring and died finding it while Ryou was a child, but yet in the manga Ryou's father is still alive. Plus, there are quite a few conflicting details about what his father does. There is mention of his father being an archaeologist but also that he's the owner of the Domino Museum (hence how the spirit can set up the diorama for the final RPG in the museum backroom). So my interpretation is that Ryou's biological father was an archaeologist who died and his adoptive father (who I used the anime version of) is the owner of the museum. Also, it's revealed in _DSOD_ that Ryou doesn't actually remember how he got the Ring so I assume the bit in the manga where he mentioned his father bought it from an antique shop is either a conclusion he came up with (because where else can you buy a giant gold pendent?) or something he was told by his mother before she died.


	4. Chapter 4

Yugi Mutou sighed for the tenth time within the last five minutes. He had arrived in the Shibuya district of Tokyo earlier that day and checked into his hotel to drop off his luggage. He proceeded to wander around for a few hours to sight-see but was now waiting at the Mayoi statue near the Shibuya station for his wizard guide.

He had been instructed to go to Tokyo – specifically Shibuya – to purchase his school robes and wand before catching a direct flight to London the next day.

Yugi still couldn't believe it. There was a completely secretive society practicing magic. Then again, maybe he just never noticed it before. After all, the headmasters that visited him and his family did say that they even had established governments to enforce laws about magic and secrecy.

Definitely a lot more organized than what he had been through before.

While Yugi and his friends weren't announcing it to the news stations and every stranger on the street, they didn't exactly put in a lot of effort to be super secretive about it. It already seemed like everyone they were involved with already knew about the Millennium Items and Shadow Magic or just went along with it.

It was honestly a surprise more people hadn't been aware of Shadow Magic with people dropping to the ground without their souls and large dark clouds encompassing buildings and blimps.

Yugi assumed that the headmasters would have eventually mentioned his previous ventures with Shadow Magic but it was never brought up. He thought they would have known all about it or maybe they really did know nothing about it.

Why else didn't they approach him in the past year? He was not that surprised to learn that Marik and Ryou were also wizards, but the fact that they were all offered after they no longer had their Millennium Items made Yugi wonder.

But Yugi was not about to let anyone else know about some ancient magic now that it had gone past. Maybe he'll talk about it with Ryou and Marik after they arrived at the school.

Yugi was actually quite surprised at how easily his parents had accepted the idea of magic. They were even the first to approve of him living overseas for the school. He honestly expected that Grandpa would be the only one to accept it since he was the only one who had become involved with all the Shadow Magic debacles.

Although after the headmasters had left, Grandpa was dancing (he was always excitable about these kinds of discoveries) while his parents and Grandma were more bewildered by the whole thing. They had dazed expressions on their faces.

Yugi wondered if he should ever tell them about the Millennium Items and what he had been through in the past year. He decided against until perhaps a later time, he didn't want them to go into too much shock.

Yugi glanced at his watch again and sighed. He felt uncomfortable waiting by himself. For a long time, even though he could be physically by himself, he still had the spirit of the Millenium Puzzle to keep him company. He missed him.

As an only child, Yugi was often envious of those who had siblings. Atemu was like a wish come true to a lonely boy. He was the older brother Yugi always wished he had. It was unfortunate their time together was so short but he knew Atemu deserved rest in a better place.

Yugi could only treasure his memories of the spirit and all he had done for Yugi. It was because of Atemu, Yugi finally had the confidence and friends he had desperately craved just a couple of years ago.

Yugi sighed again. He was also missing his group of friends and it hasn't even been a day yet. He honestly doubted he would want go if Ryou and Marik weren't going as well.

Although the headmasters had warned Yugi and Ryou that only family members were allowed to know about the wizarding world, they still told Honda, Anzu and Jounouchi. The other three already knew and experienced Shadow Magic, so Yugi and Ryou saw no harm in letting the others know about their new wizard status.

Last night before Ryou's flight they had a good-bye party when the two former Millennium Item holders had revealed the reason they were going to another country for a year. There were a lot of celebratory well wishes but also disappointment that they wouldn't finish their school years together.

Yugi wondered what excuses their parents had came up with to tell the school.

With another sigh, Yugi nervously glanced around the meeting spot. How was his guide going to find him among all these people?

Since it was a weekend, it was so crowded! Yes, his hair was noticeable, but there were just as many other crazy hairstyles around and even some crazier fashion! He couldn't help but stare briefly when a girl walked by with green hair and outfit covered in bronze gears and matching top hat.

Not to mention, since he was still a little shorter than most, it wasn't like his tall hair stood out over other people's heads.

All he could do was lean against the statue and just hope that this guide was someone who knew about him.

"Yugi! Hey Yuuuuugi!" A familiar voiced called out to him.

"Jounouchi? Shizuka?" Yugi questioned. Why was his best friend here? But there he was. Yugi could see Jounouchi coming towards him pulling his little sister along.

Jounouchi grinned and pulled Yugi into a friendly headlock.

"Bet you didn't expect us? We'll be your guide!" He sang the last part.

"Sorry we're late," Shizuka smiled sweetly.

Yugi started, "What do you –"

Jounouchi unintentionally interrupted his friend. "Let's go!" he declared with a ridiculous large step...before Shizuka pulled his sleeve and pointed in the opposite direction.

As they walked with Shizuka leading the way, Yugi and Jounouchi started conversing.

"Sorry I didn't tell you earlier. It's not my secret to tell," Jounouchi apologized.

"Is Shizuka really a witch?" he asked in a low voice.

Jounouchi nodded. "Mom's one too. Just not me or Dad. Dad didn't know until they got married. He hated it though." He scowled and rolled his eyes.

He sighed, "It was one of the things they used to always fight about. When Shizuka got accepted to Mahoutokoro they finally decided to split." He gave his sister a quick squeeze around her shoulders (who smiled back) to shake away the bitter memories.

Yugi gave an unneeded apology to his best friend who gave a casual shrug and rubbed Yugi's hair with a fist and excited grin.

"I'm going to miss ya, but it's so cool that you've got this chance." Dropping his head closer to Yugi, Jounouchi whispered, "Some of things Shizuka can do are totally amazing. She's one of the best students in her class."

Yugi could see the pride in his friend's eyes for his sister.

Shizuka smiled and blushed at her brother's praise, "Fujimori-sensei asked me to help you get your stuff when he learned that I was friend with you through Katsuya."

She then giggled, "A lot of my classmates were fighting about getting a chance show around the King of Games."

A faint line of red crossed Yugi's face as he let out a nervous chuckle. Before he could feel any more embarrassed Jounouchi declared, "We're here!"

Yugi raised an eyebrow. It was one of the busiest malls in Shibuya. He had been there a handful of times before but he couldn't recall any store that he thought could cater to wizards. Besides, weren't they supposed to be secretive?

The short teen didn't voice his confusion but questioningly followed the sibling pair who seemed to know exactly where to go. They passed by many stores on the ground floor before heading towards the small hallway that lead to the bathrooms. Passing by the bathrooms, they walked into a GO salon around the corner.

They all gave a small bow to the short old man brewing tea behind the counter and then Shizuka led them to an elevator located at the back wall. The elevator had an "out of order" sign posted next to it, but neither she nor her brother paid attention to it when Jounouchi push the lone button. Still confused, Yugi stepped inside the elevator with them.

When the doors closed, Yugi noticed that all of the buttons were missing, just leaving the five vacant holes. With a smile towards her brother's best friend, Shizuka pulled out a thin elegant wand and tapped it into one of the holes.

Instead of going up, like Yugi expected, the elevator jerked downwards. When they finished descending, instead of the doors opening, it moved sideways!

After a few seconds, the elevators fully stopped. Yugi gave a quiet gasp when they stepped out of the elevator.

The cacophony of the usual shopping crowd was punctuated by the new sounds of the squawks and squeals of animals, the clanging of cauldrons, and sparks of spells flying. Glancing around, Yugi could see stores housing owls in cages, another with books stacked taller than him, another lined with glass jar holding dried herbs, and even a game shop that a wizard chess demonstration in the window. Yugi's eyes glittered seeing the animated pieces moving about by themselves.

"C'mon Yugi." Jounouchi gave a friendly tug at Yugi's collar pulling him away from the chess display. Yugi pouted at being dragged away, but became excited when Jounouchi announced to Shizuka that they should get Yugi's wand first.

Weaving through the crowd, Yugi looked up and let out a noise of surprise. The ceiling was three times higher than it was normally in most malls and looked like frosted glass. It allowed for a lot of natural light to come in but he could little blurs darting around on the topside of the glass.

Shizuka turned and explained with a smile, "We're really below the mall we walked in earlier. The ceiling is made of glass but it's enchanted to be unbreakable. They also casted an illusion to look like a solid floor from above so muggles won't know about this place."

"They also made it so that everyone that walked on top look like blurred dots so you can't see up girls' skirts." Jounouchi added with a sly and disappointed whisper. Yugi furiously blushed.

Soon they arrived to a store with an ancient-looking storefront. The sign said in large characters _Yamato's Wands_ underneath it were smaller characters, _Making Wands since the Yamato Period_.

Stepping inside, they were greeted by tall, willowy man with slightly grey hair and large round glasses wearing a faded yukata. He introduced himself as Yamato Saito and current owner of the establishment. Yugi politely bowed and introduced himself, indicating he was the one that needed to purchase a wand.

Yamato asked Yugi to hold out his wand arm – Yugi assumed it was his dominant hand – and began measure with a purple measuring tape. He measured Yugi's arm length, each finger, the span of hand, the circumference of his palm, and other inane measurements that Yugi soon lost track of.

He was startled when the tape continued to measure even without Yamato holding it. When it started measuring the height of his hair, Yamato gave a snap of his fingers and the tape dropped to the floor.

Yamato handed Yugi a wand. "Unicorn hair and elder wood, 13 inches," he murmured. Yugi gave it a tentative wave. A spark flew out and broke a chair. Jounouchi let out a whoop and laughed.

Before Yugi could begin an apology the wand was snatched out and another replaced it.

"Dragon heartstring and red maple, 11 inches," Yamato remarked and gestured Yugi to wave it as well when the boy was hesitant.

This time a burst of wind knocked Jounouchi onto his back. Shizuka giggled, Yugi chuckled at the slight revenge, and Yamato snatched the wand to replace it with another.

The process continued for a while. The wands had various reactions from knocking boxes of wands off the shelves to cracking a few nearby vases and even setting Yugi's own hair on fire.

Yugi tried new wands and some very old wands if the boxes were of any indication. Yamato was amazingly patient as his tidy shop fell more and more into disarray.

Finally, a wand was handed to Yugi and immediately he felt a soothing warmth flow through him. Sparks of gold, purple, and black swirled around him. Yamato was pleased with this outcome.

"Phoenix tail feather and Cherrywood, 12 ½ inches," Yamato chirped. "Seven galleons please."

Yugi momentarily panicked over the odd monetary, before Shizuka stepped forward dropping a few gold coins onto the counter. When they left the shop, Shizuka sheepishly gave him a pouch filled with coins that she forgot to give him earlier.

She mentioned that Mahaotokoro would provide the finances for school supplies as well as a little extra for an allowance. Yugi was given a quick explanation of the currency as they head to _Wattan Magical Wardrobes_ for Yugi's robes.

Inside, a young witch introduced herself as the owner's new assistant Machiko. "I've been here for four months now," she had chirped excitedly.

As Yugi stood up on the short stool and Machiko began measuring him, she asked "What color are you starting with."

Yugi, caught off guard stuttered, "Umm…well…erm…" _Color?_ He didn't know what kind of question was that or how to reply.

Luckily Shizuka came to the rescue before he could panic.

"Ano….Motou-san is going to go another school on an exchange program," she explained. "Fujimori-sensei requests that he doesn't have the usual school robes but a plain colored robe in cut into the school style for his exchange status."

"Oh…any particular color?"

"Ano…he didn't say, but as long as it's not one of the usual shades."

Machiko eyes gleamed with creative excitement. "Motou-san would you like to pick a color?"

Yugi nervously smiled, still not understanding the significance of the robes' color, but he asked the young assistant to choose instead.

She was more than happy to oblige. Picking out rolls of uncut cloth from the walls she threw them at Yugi who barely managed to catch some of them. She unrolled one, wrapped it around it around his shoulders before throwing it off of him just to wrap another piece on him.

Yugi became dizzy as Machiko became a whirlwind of different color fabrics twirling around him.

An hour later they exited the shop with Yugi holding several wrapped packages that contained his robes and cloaks.

Eventually Machiko had settled on a shade of blue that was the same as his Domino High uniform. It was purely coincidental and ironic since Yugi was wearing all black today.

His wool-lined cloaks were black however and twice as thick than the normal Mahaotokoro school cloaks. Machiko explained to them that winter in Hogwarts would be much colder than in Japan.

Since it was nearly for dinnertime, Yugi, Jounouchi, and Shizuka left the wizarding mall to go to a nearby Burger World.

"Why did Machiko-san ask about colors?" Yugi asked Shizuka. He gave a satisfied hum when he took a bite of his burger.

"Mahaotokoro's school robes change colors," Shizuka began to explain once she glanced around to make sure that no one could overhear. "When you start, the robes are all pink and as you gain more experience the robes change colors based on how advanced you are. The ones who are about to graduate have gold robes."

"Wow," Yugi can imagine the student body was a like a walking rainbow. "What color are your robes now?"

"Orange," Shizuka pouted, obviously unhappy with the shade. Jounouchi chortled, "It's not that bad Shizuka-chan."

"Yes, it is Onii-chan!" She stuck her tongue at him. "But at the end of the year my robes are going to be green." She grinned, much happier with the color change.

* * *

The next morning Yugi, Jounouchi and Shizuka were at the wizarding mall again to browse through some of the other shops that didn't get a chance to do so yesterday.

To Yugi's dismay last night, Yugi had underestimated how much space the robes and cloaks would take in his small suitcase. Mentioning it to his friends this morning, Shizuka suggested Yugi to get a trunk that would later store all his books as well.

Now, the trio was in a store called _Trunkloads of Trunks_ looking through the huge variety of trunks that they had in stock. There were big ones, small ones, some utterly ordinary, and others enchanted. There was even one that changed on the inside depending on which lock the key was inserted in, with a total of seven different locks and compartments.

Yugi didn't want to get one that was too big because of airline limits on luggage nor did he want it to be too cumbersome to carry. Jounouchi offered to bring back his suitcase home.

He finally decided on an amethyst colored trunk with a few compartments and drawers that were enchanted to be slightly bigger on the inside.

When he went to pay for his trunk, the sales clerk advertised for a price of five sickles, they could also cast a charm so that anything added into the trunk would be virtually weightless. A wizard could put in about 200 kilograms in it and the trunk would still weigh the same as if it was empty. The trunk was already heavy enough so Yugi was pleased to agree to the extra cost.

Once they were done purchasing the trunk, they explore several more stores. Shizuka wanted to get some color changing ink and a few melody hair ribbons that played music only in the wearer's ears. Yugi even bought one of the magical chess sets since he now had ample room in his trunk.

They almost spent too much time at the mall before Yugi looked at his watch and exclaimed, "Ack! My flight leaves in three hours!"

They all rushed to Yugi's hotel room where he threw everything into his new trunk.

Together Jounouchi and Yugi carried his trunk down to the lobby to check out while Shizuka rolled the empty suitcase behind them.

Luckily, a taxi was just dropping off a guest at the hotel entrance. Saying their goodbyes, Yugi promised to write to everyone – he was already told phones would not work at Hogwarts – as soon as he arrived at the school. Yugi waved to his best friend and his best friend's sister until the car made a turn and he could no longer see them.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

1\. Japan is a small country that doesn't have much space and impressive malls/shopping districts. I think it makes sense for the wizarding shops to be in a hidden section of a mall than have its own separate (and seemingly abandoned) area. I feel an abandoned area in Japan is more likely to be taken over and renovated.

2\. I don't know what Mahaotokoro's color changing order is. I only learned that it starts with pink and ends with gold. Only white is not included because it signifies death and but the robe will turn white when someone casts a Forbidden Curse or performed some other kind of dark arts.

3\. Trunks seem to be a standard wizard thing to have but how many traveling muggles own a trunk? I don't. And yes, Yugi's trunk is the color of Atemu's eyes. And see the nod to Moody's trunk from the fourth book?

4\. Any questions about previous chapters, I'll try to incorporate the answers in future chapters or answer here if there's any confusion.

5\. This chapter and the next couple have been fun for me. *winks* I get to make up parts of the wizarding world without interfering with canon details.


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